


Inner Circle

by twiiinkle_toes



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Book 1, Canon Compliant, F/F, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-03-10 01:19:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18928405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twiiinkle_toes/pseuds/twiiinkle_toes
Summary: Korra finds out about Kyalin. Set somewhere near the beginning of book 1.





	1. Chapter 1

“Could you do me a favor?” Pema asked. She took a plate from Korra and dried it with a worn yellow towel. Korra reached for a bowl with a hand wrapped in a soapy water glove. 

“Yeah of course!” Korra said. “You need a babysitter?”

“No,” Pema laughed quietly, “Not tonight, but I might take you up on that some time. Could you take these to Lin?” She pointed her elbow at a bag of dumplings on the other end of the counter. 

“Lin?” Korra asked.

“Oh, Chief Beifong,” Pema said. 

“Oh,” Korra’s face fell.

“Are you alright?” Pema asked, feigning confusion.

“Yeah, Chief Beifong just, uh, doesn’t like me?” Korra said. The water gloves fell from her hands as she finished washing the last dish. Pema handed her the bag.

“She never likes anyone at first,” Pema said, “I put the address on the bag,”

Korra glanced at the note, it had an address and a short note—Sorry I couldn’t make it this week!—scrawled in pristine, blocky handwriting. 

“Do you think you’ll be able to find it?” Pema continued, “I know you haven’t been here long.”

“Yeah I’ll be okay,” Korra said, “It’ll be a good way to get to know the city better.”

 

~~~

 

Korra had only met her a couple times, but the woman who opened the door to Lin Beifong’s house was definitely not Lin Beifong. And judging by her primarily maroon outfit, she wasn’t even earth kingdom. Korra looked at the woman, then at the house number, then back at the woman. 

“Um,” Korra said. The mystery woman looked right back at Korra. She was tall and big enough to block almost the entire doorway. She looked like she could lift Korra one handed. 

“Can I help you?” she asked. Korra shuffled. She could hear voices and tinny radio music coming from behind the woman but couldn’t see anyone. 

“I’m looking for Chief Beifong?” Korra said. She tried to look around the woman and into the apartment.

“What for?” the woman asked.

“Um,” Korra said, “Delivery from Councilman Tenzin’s wife.” She held up the bag and straightened up in an effort to make herself look bigger.

“It’s your turn Miyuki!,” called a voice from inside. It sounded familiar, but Korra couldn’t quite place it. “Who is it?”

“A girl who says she’s got something from Pema,” the woman called back.

“Let her in,” said a new voice. That one was definitely the chief. Gravelly, it was. Miyuki stepped back to give Korra room to come in before closing the door behind them. Korra followed her to the living room and the source of all the voices.

A card game was in full swing around the coffee table. Miyuki sank into a huge, worn armchair that had been pulled up close to the table and examined her hand. There were two watertribe women on cushions on the floor and an earth kingdom woman in a chair that looked like it had been brought in from elsewhere in the house. And on the couch were Chief Beifong and the owner of the familiar voice, Kya.

“Kya?” Korra said, stopping dead in her tracks. The older waterbender had her arms resting on the top of the couch, leaving plenty of room for the chief, who was tucked neatly under one arm. This Lin was a completely different person from the Lin Korra had encountered earlier that week. This Lin had her hair up in a messy bun, wore a white tank top and dark green wide-leg pants. This Lin was openly smiling at something the other earth kingdom woman was saying. And this Lin had on a watertribe betrothal necklace.

“Hey Korra!” Kya said, “Lin told me you were in town! It’s great to see you!”

“Um,” Korra said. There was too much to process here to say anything else.

“You can leave those in the kitchen,” Lin said, “It’s through there.”

Korra did as she was told, and found herself following the talking and laughing back into the living room. The decor was clearly a mix of Lin and Kya’s styles, and they’d made it work quite well. The floors were stone, of course, tiles of different types and textures, but there were a number furs scattered about, both on the floor in front of the fire and draped over the couch and chairs. The most notable thing, though, was how cluttered the place was. Everywhere she looked there were piles of books, stacks and boxes of paperwork and files, potted plants, and samples of rocks and metals. Hanging on the walls were what she assumed to be Beifong heirlooms, traditional watertribe paintings, and taped-up drawings signed by all of Tenzin’s kids. Three dirty mugs sat on the stone and metal coffee table, and two more on the mantle over the fireplace. All the women in the living room had a glass of some sort of alcohol or other. Lin noticed her taking inventory of her house.

“Did you need anything else?” Lin asked, not smiling, but also not yelling at her. 

“Um,” Korra said.

“You don’t say much, huh,” one of the watertribe women said.

“Yes she does,” Lin and Kya said at the same time. 

“Sit down Korra,” Kya continued, “You can be our seventh for Kyoshi Hearts.”

Lin looked at Kya like she very much did not want this to happen, but the other four women had already started introducing themselves. The watertribe women had stood up to shake Korra’s hand. 

“I’m Nunik,” said the taller one, “and this is my wife Anik. We work with Kya at the hospital.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Korra said, shaking their hands, “I didn’t know Kya worked at the hospital.”

“There’s lots you don’t know, kid,” Lin said, expertly shuffling the cards. Miyuki raised her hand from her chair.

“Miyuki,” she said. “Firefighter.”

“I’m Ting!” said the earth kingdom woman, “RCPD.”

“Nice to meet you,” Korra said. “I’m, uh, Korra. The Avatar. Chief Beifong arrested me.”

“Oh, welcome to the club,” Anik said, giving Kya a knowing look and shooting a wink at Korra.

 

Before she knew it, Korra had five cards in one hand and a glass of firewine in the other. She’d mentioned she was only 17, but even Chief Beifong said that was a poor excuse to refuse to drink. Korra did her best to pay attention to the rules Ting was explaining to her, but her eyes kept wandering to the chief and Kya on the couch, especially the necklace around Beifong’s neck.

“What is it, Korra,” Lin said. 

“What? Nothing!” Korra said. Lin let the subject drop, and the night continued for some time. It wasn’t long before the three other waterbenders were sharing the story of the night Lin arrested them over an “extreme noise complaint.” Korra found herself settling onto the cushion she’d been provided with and having a good time despite the embarrassing stories Kya was telling about her youth. She spent a probably more time looking at the chief and Kya than she did her cards. Lin’s hand on Kya’s thigh, the way her nose wrinkled when Kya said something funny, Kya absentmindedly playing with Lin’s fingers. In their first meeting Korra hadn’t noticed just how small Lin was. She was muscular, sure, but small all the same. It was obvious now that she was next to Kya, taller and more elegant now than in her youth. 

“Can you help me dish up Pema’s offering?” Kya asked. Lin had just destroyed them all for the second game in a row and everyone was feeling the need for a snack break. Korra nodded and followed her into the kitchen, a little unsteadily. She was starting to feel the effects of the firewine but did her best to seem unfazed. It wasn’t everyday you were invited to Chief Beifong’s apparent inner circle. Kya gently opened the bag and handed Korra a pile of paper plates. 

“So, any questions?” Kya asked. 

“About, dumplings?”

“No,” Kya laughed, “about me and Lin. You’ve been staring all night.”

“Oh, uh, I just, uh, didn’t know.” Korra spread out all the plates on the counter. “She’s like a different person.” Kya distributed the dumplings in a companionable silence. “I didn’t know it was legal.”

“Hm?” Kya said. Korra nodded at her necklace. “Oh that, it’s not. You should see Raiko’s face every time I show up to a city event with Lin,” Kya laughed. She easily balanced four plates on her arms and sashayed back into the living room.

 

~~~

 

“Sooooo,” Korra said after everyone else had made their goodbyes, “is this like a usual thing?” 

“Not for you it’s not,” Lin said.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a short epilogue with korrasami. if there was a point in book 4 where everyone was in town that's is where this is set

Pema was undoubtedly in charge of the dishwashing operation despite being the only non-waterbender involved. Despite what the acolyte chefs constantly and exasperatedly proclaim, this was Pema’s domain. Korra and Kya were her assistants.

“Are you coming to ours tonight?” Kya asked. She nonchalantly tossed a bowl to Pema, who caught and shelved it in a single fluid motion.

“I’m fairly certain both Ten and Jin are in for the night, so, yes,” Pema said. She caught another bowl in one hand and a cup in the other.

“Korra?” Kya asked. Korra looked up from her soapy pile of cups.

“Yes?”

“Are you coming?”

“You’re inviting me?”

“Yes?” Kya laughed the word. “You can bring Asami.”

“I can? Is she free?”

“Why in god’s name are you asking me?”

Korra looked down into her cups. She looked back up at Pema and Kya. Both women had strained smiles, just about bursting with confusion, frustration, and affection.

“Can I…?” Korra asked, gesturing her thumb behind her shoulder.

“We’ll see you at eight, Korra,” Kya said.

 

~~~

 

“Honey,” Kya said, “By the way, I invited Korra.” 

Lin responded with a sigh that meant ‘I understand why you’ve done this and it’s probably a good idea but I’m upset with it on principle.’

“And Asami.” 

“Oh, well that’s alright then.”


End file.
